We have to be honest and truthful about the main topic. We cannot run around in circles and avoid the animal-people meat industry question like we avoid a sore thumb or avoid a boil on our body, and “Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it!” We have to touch it in order to heal it. Especially, we know that it’s a very dangerous boil, which could affect our life, which could be fatal to our life, and even infect others, and even in this situation, infect the whole planet, could kill the whole world. Then, we have to touch that boil and let the doctor heal it. Or we heal it ourselves if we know how. And we do know how. We have technique, we have power. Each one of us can do this, just by being vegan.
Nobody wants to touch this subject. I don’t know why. Maybe you could advise me later on – Why? Because I really do not understand. I don’t mean to trigger you or to pretend innocence. I really do not understand, when the problem is as clear as the nose in front of me here, I do not understand why people don’t discuss and immediately get the solution going to save all lives on the planet, because we don’t even have time anymore to discuss much further, too long, or to be polite to each other, until it’s too late.
OK. Sorry. I get carried away. Forgive me. I’m just too passionate about this subject because it’s in my heart. It concerns all of us.
Yesterday, I was watching the President’s speech, and question-and-answer there, just as I was just mentioning to you. And one of the, I think, journalists or something, with a big camera, came and said, “Oh, can I take your picture?” I said, “Why? I’m just listening to this.” And she said, “Because you’re so passionate and looks like you are very interested. And it seems like a one-man campaign or something.” I said, “Yes, yes. I’m very passionate about this because it’s my planet!”
(I think that’s a wonderful idea. It starts with one man, doesn’t it? And then it carries on to the other, and that’s how your passion can go on to other people, as well. And it’s our own common world that we live in.) Yes. Because I sat there just alone, watching the TV, outside the corridor. And I was so fixed on the TV, that’s why she was attracted, and she came and watched me for half an hour or something, before she asked me. I said, “Oh, go ahead. Take what picture you want. I’m all yours.” And then, she left after a while. OK. We go back to your country. Forgive me. My God. Forgive me.
The United Arab Emirates is one of the main countries in the Middle East that imports live sheep from other countries. Millions, millions of these animal-people arrive on ships, with tens of thousands that have died each time from extreme crowding and other conditions along the way. Poor sheep!
They have done nothing wrong to us, ever. We have a saying in English, “As sweet as a lamb.” I don’t know about your country, if they have such a saying or not. How can we kill such sweet, living animal-people, tear their limbs apart and consume it? Allah would not be very pleased with this, I imagine. And the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, when He was alive, tried to save a little lamb at one time. I’m sure He saved many other animal-people whenever the opportunity arrived, but not all are recorded in the Hadith or in the Qur’an.
Enormous quantities of meat are also imported, especially from Brazil, India, Australia, also Sudan, Kazakhstan, etc., etc. All of these exporting countries mentioned above have environmental and even economic struggles due to livestock overgrazing – meaning that the meat habit worsens drought and desertification in many other countries as well. So, the piece of meat that we put in our mouths is responsible for many disasters around the world. I’m so sorry that you are not well informed. (We can see now how it’s connected. I mean, we could see the connection even when we heard Your topic, so…) Alright. Maybe it will come back later, with Allah’s blessing. (Yes.) If Allah wills. It will come back. OK. Thank you!
OK. Plus, on top of all this, the raising of livestock animal-people such as sheep, goats, and cattle generates huge amounts of methane and other greenhouse gases, which in turn cause and accelerate global warming. I’m sure you can see the logic.
In fact, livestock raising for meat production is known to be a significant factor in global warming, with scientists now saying that it is. The livestock sector is the number one cause of global warming. I’m sorry again if you are not well-informed. (Were you informed, delegates, about this, that it’s the major cause of global warming? Excellent. Thank you.) Maybe some of them know. (Yes.) Maybe some… (I was not.) But not all people know. You were not? (I was not.) I’m sorry. (I thought maybe petrol emission and all those gases, or whatever, that might be the major cause than actually livestock farming.)
Livestock farming is the major cause. It’s more than all the transportation combined, more than all the ships, the airplanes, the cars, the railway, whatever transportation, you name it. It’s nothing compared to livestock raising in pollution rate. OK, now you know it. You can log on to all kinds of scientific facts or the UN’s Livestock’s Long Shadow report to see all this.
I’m not making it up. It’s the fact, 100% accurate. I mean, even conservatively, the pollution is more than stated. More. And it’s getting more and more each day.
So, the people of the United Arab Emirates could accomplish the most effective green change by removing all animal-people products. I know I’m asking for the Moon, but you have the power to do it. You have to. You must. We all must. All countries must do this. Otherwise, we will suffer too much, too much. Very soon.
I’m not a psychic. I’m not predicting the future from clairvoyance or from the crystal ball in front of me. No, no, I don’t need that. The scientific finding, researched facts, is enough to scare all of us.
Even suppose I were a meat-lover, even if I were, I would immediately drop that meat like a hot potato and run! Run away from it. (That’s true. That’s well said, Supreme Master.) Yes. This could help revive barren lands in many other countries, as well as yours. In addition to stopping climate change globally, we could have a lush planet again, because we will have no more deforestation. Instead, we will reforest. And who knows, we can even reforest the United Arab Emirates. I’m sure we will have time to do that after we save the planet by stopping all kinds of poisonous gases from the livestock industry. And it is crucial to stop eating fish as well for the seas to survive, as I have mentioned before the reason why.
The United Arab Emirates has had the good fortune to prosper and is blessed with peace, abundant Sun; precious, the Sun is precious, and talented people. The discovery of abundant oil reserves has allowed your residents to enjoy a high standard of living in a short time. It was your wise and visionary leader, the nation’s founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
He was the one who reminded us that the ancestors survived in this environment, on land and sea, because they knew they had to conserve it. They had to take care of it in order to continue the survival rate. And he also said we should take only what we need, and no more, to conserve the environment.
Your government indeed has been looking ahead to the future since a long time. Not just recently. Not just now. By planting so many trees and green areas to block desertification. Well, we could do more, of course, when we have more time. Building solar energy, promoting organic farming, and developing clean, alternative technologies such as through the world-famous Masdar City project. I’m sure you know. (Guys, you know?) Yes? (Yes. The audience is aware of it.) Yes, that’s a miracle that your government is creating. I applaud them. Yes.
And I’m sure many other countries are looking to the United Arab Emirates as a pioneer and a role model, and a shining example in this environmental protection endeavor. (Excellent. That is a very good initiative.) Yes. Yes, ma’am, it is. It is an excellent initiative. Your government is very wise. Now you have to support your government to go one more step further, that is, to support the vegan alternative to save the United Arab Emirates, as well as the world.
